


i once believed love was red (but it's golden)

by beginsalie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Happy Ending, Hospitals, Jaemin is a Patient, M/M, Renjun is a Nurse, but there's a plot twist, looks angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beginsalie/pseuds/beginsalie
Summary: Renjun is a nurse who has a simple rule: he shall not be weak for any of his patients.until Na Jaemin shows up.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	i once believed love was red (but it's golden)

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!  
> this is actually a gift for one of my best friends who's a nurse so i hope she likes it a lot.  
> i have no idea of what nurses do so please be nice to me ;;  
> i might come back and edit this and make it longer since it was a little bit rushed and i just wanted to write the prompt but enjoy it for now.

Huang Renjun has always considered himself pretty lucky, at least with everything related to his career. 

Yes, he had to move to Korea to achieve his dream and yes, maybe his college professors weren't the most ideal ones to begin with but overall he had been taught to be an excellent nurse. His huge sense of responsibility and vocation had always helped him a lot and were always a plus point for him. Everyone that had worked with him has said it was an immense pleasure to have been by his side and that the way Renjun saw the world was unique and special. 

Renjun was introverted and even shy but he was determined and cared about his patients more than anything else. He knew how to separate his own life from work life and was very centered and that made him one of the best nurses that had ever graduated from Seoul National University. To no one’s surprise, the moment he graduated he found a job at a prestigious hospital in Seoul as well, and even if he missed home he was pretty happy and proud of himself.

But the best thing about Renjun as a nurse was probably the way he was with patients. Not how he treated them, not how careful he was with their medications. Just the way he was. Huang Renjun was known as the polite type, but never as the warm guy. He was very respectful and he fit perfectly into his given introverted personality. But Renjun seemed to forget about that every single moment his feet stepped in a patient’s room. He was sweet, he shared stories and let them tell him any triviality that made them happy, he remembered everyone’s names and he made no exception: he was like that with terminal patients and with people that came just a minute to have a blood test. On Thursdays, you could see him at Pediatrics’ wing playing with kids —if you knew Renjun you would know he isn’t actually very fond of children but who could tell that when his face lit up like a Christmas tree while a little boy asked him to draw a deer for him—. 

No professor, no doctor, no nurse, no watchman and no nursing assistant had ever forgotten Huang Renjun’s name. It was kind of impossible to forget his impeccable work and service. But absolutely no patient had ever forgotten Huang Renjun’s smile. 

And no one had ever seen Huang Renjun cry. 

When one of his patients died —no matter who it was—, he would always lock himself in the little room with lockers the nurses have to change clothes. He would go there after his shift was done and everyone knew no one should bother him. Then, he would come out and there would be no trace of tears, no signs of him being upset. Just the regular serious Renjun going back to work. Renjun knew he couldn't save everyone and he was very aware that it wasn't his fault. Despite being close to all his patients, he didn’t let anyone be in his heart. He knew what his career implied and he wasn't weak. But he just wished. 

\--

It was Friday and for Renjun that meant he had to watch out for the terminal patients. That was nothing for him, he loved that hospital’s wing, it was full of interesting people and he loved to work there. The least he could do was to do his work properly and help his patients the most, and there was nothing Renjun loved to do more than doing a good job. 

He just finished talking to the nurse in charge of the counter —he honestly didn't understand how Minseok did it sometimes— and was about to head out to one of his patients’ rooms when he caught a rare sight. There was a young man in a wheelchair wandering around the hospital’s corridors and he looked kind of lost. It was difficult not to see him since the boy showed off a really bright pink hair that contrasted with the hospital’s white gown. Renjun turned around to see if there was someone who could assist him but saw no one who could be of help and looked at the young guy again, who didn't seem to be much younger than Renjun himself. Sighing, he headed towards the boy and noticed he was wearing street clothes under the hospital gown, which wasn't too common between terminal patients since they spent all the time at the hospital and the majority of them wore hospital pajamas, mostly because of basic health rules and because it's more comfortable —to the doctors and to them—. But Renjun had met his fair amount of patients who didn't like to feel like they were locked in —even if they were— and who liked to keep their true nature even there and they still wore their own clothes. Plus, he had never seen that patient in his life and he could be a new one, so he kept his mouth shut and instead of saying something clothes related, he greeted him.

“Hey,” said Renjun cordially. 

The pink haired boy struggled to move the wheelchair back at him and Renjun didn't try to help him because even if his duty as a nurse is helping people, he knew sometimes people don’t need —want— help. And, let's be honest here, Renjun was very taken back because of the stranger's looks. He was insanely pretty and didn't look like he was sick at all. In fact, he almost looked like a model. But Renjun recovered quickly from the shock, after all he had always been a very communicative person with his patients.

“Do you need help with that?,” he offered politely.

The stranger smiled at him brightly. 

“I’m sorry! I have never tried one of these,” he said, pointing to the wheelchair. “It’s complicated at first. I think I’ve run over at least nineteen people and a very handsome doctor who I think was speaking Chinese with a really panicked nursing assistant,” the bright guy laughed carefreely while an horrified Renjun sent prayers to who he hoped wouldn't be Kun and Chenle.

“That’s oddly specific,” Renjun pointed out. “Were you numbering them while you ran over them?” 

Another laugh filled the hospital hall. “You will never know!,” the boy winked while answering.

The smiles he kept sending Renjun had him on guard. He seemed to be a strange patient but he was a pretty one and Renjun wasn't dumb. He then noticed there was a folder in the boy’s lap, a medical folder. It said “Na Jaemin”. He pointed it out. 

“Na Jaemin, huh? Is that for me?”

The called boy furrowed his face and scratched his head, seeming a little bit confused.

“I don't think so…,” he tried to move his body as close as he could without falling from his chair and squinted a little to see Renjun’s name tag. “... Huang Renjun,” he sent him a satisfied smile.

“Well, I’m a nurse and I’m assuming you are new here, so who else is better to get you to your room?,” Renjun tried to play nice with him. 

Na Jaemin did exactly what Renjun expected him to do: he put on a smile. Renjun had only been with him for five minutes but the only thing the other boy had done was smile and he absolutely despised people that were too smiley and weren't Chenle —they were in an hospital, they worked in a serious environment— but, for some reason, he wasn't hating Na Jaemin too much. Maybe it was his bright aura, his weird vibes or his smile itself. Renjun didn't know, but he was sure of something: he didn’t let himself be weak for any patient. It was his rule number #1 and he had never broken it.

“I don’t think you’re understanding me,” said the weird pink haired boy, still smiling yet doing absolutely nothing to correct Renjun. He just stayed there in the middle of the corridor staring at him. 

Renjun couldn't stand it. He was about to throw hands if he didn’t do anything about Jaemin. He was used to dealing with every kind of situation and people but that guy… He just didn't understand him. He had hard patients before, but he understood them. He could see what was going on. Na Jaemin? He was a mistery. So he tried to come up with something. 

“Fine. If you don’t want me to show you your room, do you at least want me to show you around?” 

Jaemin’s face lit up more, if that was even possible. He nodded enthusiastically —his answer was only “Sure, I guess we can do that” but Renjun could feel his excitement, it was literally viewable— and let Renjun carry his wheelchair so they could walk around faster. 

Renjun showed him everything he could from that hospital wing. He even took him to visit his favorite patients and Jaemin started talking the second Renjun put his hands on the chair’s handles. Normally, Renjun would have disconnected right away but he always paid attention to what patients said, even if they were chatters. Even if they were Na Jaemin, who couldn't seem to be able to shut up. But for some reason, Renjun found it endearing to listen to Jaemin talking about coffee, his best friend Jisung, horror movies, his mom’s tteokbokki, skating and even cute puppies. When Jaemin talked to the rest of patients, he was cheerful and lovely. It wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been hearing it coming from another person. It made Renjun almost want to see him talking to kids.  
_  
Focus, Renjun. Rule number #1._

But Renjun knew his rule meant nothing to him when he was already finishing showing Jaemin around and he was heading out to the hospital’s rooftop. 

Jaemin was still rambling about sports cars when the elevator doors opened up. 

“Do you ever shut up?,” interrupted Renjun suddenly. Jaemin was left with unspoken words in his mouth and started opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Renjun was the one that laughed brightly that time. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with it. I like it,” and again Jemin’s smile won over his. “This is my favorite place here,” Renjun commented briefly, changing the topic. 

They had arrived at the rooftop and it was late afternoon already, the sun was hiding and the sky was covered in pretty golden colors. Renjun left Jaemin and sat down next to him —next to the wheelchair—, height difference being huge because of the chair. But Renjun was sure Jaemin was actually taller than him too, and he loved the idea. 

Jaemin was staring at Renjun and this one complained. “I brought you here because of the views, appreciate them!”

Jaemin laughed. “I am, though!”

Renjun blushed a little.  
_  
Rule number #1, Huang Renjun. Rule number #1.  
_

“You know, when I was little I wanted to be a doctor,” commented Jaemin, staring at the sky. Sunlight reflected on him and made him even prettier. His skin turned gold and for Renjun it was unbearable to think that the boy was a terminal patient, with those glowing eyes and all those healthy vibes coming from him. It was so painful to think about it that Renjun felt physical pain in his chest. And just like that, he knew he had broken his own rule for a boy that had smiled at him. “I wanted to be a hero and save everyone.”

“I’m not a doctor, though. I’m a nurse. And I don’t save everyone. I’m not a hero,” Renjun pointed out.

Jaemin didn't look at him but smiled anyway. “Now that I’ve grown up, I prefer nurses. You might not save everyone, but you are the real heroes to me.” 

Renjun has been told many things, but never that he was a hero. He only heard those things when it was about prestigious doctors —and when he told his little Bucky Barnes figurine that he wasn't bad and he was actually a great hero—. And maybe, _just maybe,_ he needed to hear that. 

He smiled at Jaemin and squeezed his hand. He was about to say something when his walkie-talkie, connected with the hospital’s megaphone interrupted him. 

“Na Jaemin, you are required on the second floor for a bone scan.”

Renjun looked at Jaemin and Jaemin returned his gaze, smiling apologetically. 

Renjun’s walkie-talkie spoke again, this time only for the nurses. “If anyone has seen Na Jaemin take him to the second floor. He’s not an admitted patient, he’s just a pain in the ass. He has a very probably broken ankle and has stolen a hospital gown from me. He can't be too far since, you know, he can’t walk, but we facilitated him a wheelchair to move around and he has not shown up on the second floor so…”

“That’s not fair, I got lost and then distracted,” Jaemin protested when he heard that, shoving his hands in the air. 

Renjun was staring at him with an incredulous look and eyeing the hospital gown, not believing what did just happen.

“Oh. This? It was cold”, Jaemin shrugged. He took it off and threw it to Renjun. Then, he struggled to move the wheelchair back to the elevator’s direction and prepared to leave. “Bye, Huang Renjun. See you again!”

When Renjun recovered from the shock, the elevator’s doors were already closing. 

“Na Jaemin!,” he yelled. And he could see him smiling mischievously before they were completely closed.

Renjun mumbled and scoffed something incoherent, unable to believe it.  
_  
Na Jaemin.  
_  
The boy who broke his number #1 rule. 


End file.
